Window sash mounting



P N coLLlN ETAL wINDow sAsH MOUNTING Flled July 21, 1959 March 27, 1962United States Patent O 3,026,531 WNDGW SASH MUN'I'ING Paul N. Collin,Golf, and Arnold M. Cook, Evanston, Ill.,

assignors to Allmetal Weatherstrip Company, a corporation of IllinoisFiled duly 21, 1959, Ser. No. 828,666 3 Claims. (Cl. Ztl- 52) Thisinvention relates generally to window constructions and is moreparticularly directed to an improved form of window sash mounting forslidable double-hung window sashes.

Modern window construction makes wide use of metal window sash guides,which are prefabricated and which employ coil springs as counterbalancesfor the sliding sashes. These metal sash guides are particularlyadvantageous in that they are easy to install, provide for easy slidingmovement of the window sashes relative to the frame, and affordexcellent weatherstripping of the window construction. Many forms ofmetal window sash guides have been designed and used to advantage, butgenerally they comprise a channel-shaped member or portion which issecured in a recess provided at opposite sides of the wood framestructure surrounding the window, and include a vertically extendingsash guide portion, which is adapted to project into a complementarylongitudinal groove in the side edge of the window sash or otherwiseguidedly engage the sash so as to afford relative sliding movement ofthe latter. The metal sash guide structure may include a parting stopintermediate the two elongated guide elements, or the latter might berelied upon for maintaining the window sashes in laterally spaced-apartposition. The coil springs used to counterbalance each of the windowsashes are disposed along opposite edges of the sash and may -be housedwithin the elongated rib or projection which provides the guide for thewindow sash. Generally, this spring housing and guide section extendsthe full length of the window sash mounting, but it may also be made -toextend only approximately half the height of the window sash mountingand thereby reduce the cost of the construction.

The present invention has for its primary object the provision of anovel window sash mounting, which includes a stop means disposed at theend of the sash guide structure so as to limit the sliding movement ofthe window sash in the frame. A further object or" the invention is toprovide a window sash stop means which is readily positionable on ametal window sash guide structure at either the upper or lower endthereof, or at both, so as to prevent movement o'f the verticallyslidable window sash completely to the opposite end of the guide trackprovided lby the window sash mounting. Other objects and advantages willbe apparent from the following description of a selected embodiment ofthe invention, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIGURE l is a side elevational view of a window frame and sash guidestructure, with portions broken away and in section to more clearlyillustrate structural details;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional View, taken along the line Z-2 in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary View of the window construction as viewed fromthe left in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional View, taken along the lines 4-4 ofFIGURE l; and

FIGURE 5 is lan enlarged perspective of the stop means shown in FIGUREl.

The embodiment chosen to illustrate the present invention includes,generally, a pair of vertically movable, double-hung window sashes and12 which are supported at opposite sides thereof by metal sash guide andweatherstrip means 14 disposed within a wooden frame 16. The sash guideand weatherstrip structure 14 includes a channel-shaped base member 13which extends substantially the length of the window frame, and whichhas secured thereto, at its upper end section, a pair of spaced-apartprojecting sections Ztl and 22, which engage grooves 24 'and 26 (FIGURE2) formed in the side edges of each of the window sashes to therebyprovide guides for the vertical sliding movement of the latter. Theseprojecting portions Ztl and 22 also serve as housings for a pair ofcounterbalanced springs 2S, which are suitably attached at their upperend portions and which are provided with a hanger 30 at their lower endfor supporting engagement with the lower edge of the respective windowsashes.

The hanger 3() comprises a straight main portion or stern 32 which hasformed along one edge thereof a series of' spaced-apart pairs of notches34 and 36 that include alternately relatively narrow and relatively wideopenings at their outer edges. The lower portion of the stern hasmounted thereon a transverse portion 38 which is generally U-shaped,with the leg members thereof being bent at right angles adjacent theirfree ends to thereby provide a pair of fiat bearing surfaces forengaging the lower edge of the window sash. The bight portion of thisinverted, U-shaped member is slotted to loosely receive the stem 32therethrough, and the stem includes a pin or boss 40 adjacent its lowerend to position the U-shaped member for pivotal or rocking movementrelative to the stern. The stem is inserted in the center of the coilspring 28 and adjustably fixed in position at the lower end thereof,with the eye portion i2 of the spring end engaging one of the relativelynarrow slots 34, and the adjoining portion of the coil disposed withinthe adjacent relatively wider slot 36 just above said narrow slot.

The spring housing and guide sections 2.0 and 22 in the illustratedembodiment extend lengthwise slightly more than half the entire lengthof the window sash mounting, although as it will be seen, the length ofthese guide sections might be made somewhat less than half of the lengthof the window frame, and still provide an eiective guide means for thesashes.

It is desirable to avoid moving either of the window sashes the fullextent of the sash guide structure, while still providing su'licientmovement for opening and closing of the window. For example, in the caseof a spring housing and guide which extends less than the length of thewindow frame, it is important that the upper sash be not lowered to suchan extent that it will run oli of the sash guide section. lf suchoccurs, the sash may shift sufficiently in the mounting frame to preventit from readily re-engaging the sash guide when the sash is movedupwardly. Then too, when the window sashes are provided with the usuallocking device, which may consist of complementary locking elements 44and 46 on the upper edge of the lower sash and on the lower section ofthe upper sash, respectively, it is desirable that the lower sash 12 notbe moved too far upwardly and at a rate such that the locking element 44thereon strikes the upper transverse window frame member 48. In order toprevent such incidents from occurring, there is provided a readilyattachable stop element 50, which is illustrated particularly in FIGURE5.

The stop element 50 is in the form of a metal clip having a rebenthairpin-like section 52 which is clampingly engageable with a relativelythin wall section of the 4window sash guide structure 14, so as toposition the stop at either end of the guide, as shown in FIGURE 1. Thestop element 50 includes a transverse ledge portion 54 and an additionalleg portion 56, with the `free end of the latter being disposed toengage either the upper or lower transverse frame members of the window.In such position, the transverse ledge 54 is positioned to abut atransverse edge of the window sash and thereby llimit further movementof the sash in the direction of the adjacent transverse frame member.

ln the illustrated embodiment, the window sash guide and weatherstripstructure includes a central channelshaped section 60 which provides aparting stop between the two slidable sashes and 12, and the stop means5t) is clamped in place on the side wall 62 of this parting stop.However, it will be understood that the stop element might also bepositioned on the bottom wall 64 or one of the outer side walls 66 ofthe sash guide, or even on the counterbalanced spring housing and 22,and still perform its intended function.

Although the stop means may assume other forms, the illustratedembodiment is formed from a strip of spring steel, or the like, and theleg portions 52 and 56 of the generally U-shaped stop element are ribbedfor reinforcement purposes. The stop element might have legs 52 and 56of equal length or, in the case of use where the sill is inclined andthe lower edge of the sash guide structure is Cut at an angle, the outersingle leg 56 of the stop means 5) can be made longer to accommodate theincline of the sill. In case the stop element is to be secured to thebottom wall 64 of the sash guide structure, a suitable angle might beformed at the lower end of the legs 52 and 56 of the stop to correspondwith the incline of the sash guide and lower sill.

' It is seen, therefore, that there is provided herein a simple but veryadvantageous stop means for use in connection with metal window sashmountings. Although shown and described with respect to particularstructure, it will be apparent that other modifications might be madewithout departing from the principles of this invention.

We claim:

1. In combination with a Window structure comprising a window framehaving a pair of side members, a top member and a bottom member, a pairof window sashes vertically slidable in said frame, and a metal sashguide and weatherstrip means fixed to each of said side frame members inengagement with said sash to provide guided vertical movement of saidsashes relative thereto, and a detachable stop means disposed in fixedrelation to said sash guide and weatherstrip means at one end thereof inthe path of movement of one of said sashes, said stop means comprising agenerally U-shaped element with one leg thereof having a rebent endportion, said rebent end portion being clampingly engaged with one endportion of said metal sash guide means to thereby position the other`leg of said element in the path of said one sash with the free end ofsaid other leg abutting one of said top and bottom members, and thebight portion of said element providing a transverse ledge for abutmentby said one sash to limit the vertical sliding movement thereof withinsaid window frame.

2. In combination with a window structure comprising a window framehaving a pair of side members, a top member and a bottom member, a pairof window sashes vertically slidable in said frame, and a metal sashguide and weatherstrip means fixed to each of said side frame members inengagement with said sashes to provide guided vertical movement of saidsashes relative to each other and with respect to said frame, and a pairof detachable stop means disposed in xed relation to said sash guide andweatherstrip means at opposite ends thereof with each stop means beingin the path of movement of one of said sashes, each of said stop meanscomprising a generally U-shaped element with one leg thereof having arebent end portion, said rebent end portion being clampingly engagedwith one end portion of said metal sash guide means to thereby positionthe other leg of said element in the path of one of said sashes with thefree end of said other leg abutting one of said top and bottom members,and the bight portion of said element providing a transverse ledge forabutment by one of said sashes to limit the vertical sliding movementthereof within said window frame.

3. A window sash stop means for use with a metal window sash guide andweather strip adapted to be mounted in a window frame and to guide thetravel of a window sash, said sash stop means comprising a generallyU-shaped element including one leg having a rebent end portion adaptedto slidab'ly and clampingly engage an end edge portion of the sashguide, a bight portion providing a transverse ledge for abuttingengagement with the adjacent transverse member of the window sash, and asecond leg extending in generally parallel relation to said one leg andbeing disposed to extend in spaced relation to said sash guide in thepath of movement of the window sash slidably mounted in said sash guide,said second leg having a length at least as great as that of said oneleg so that it is adapted to abut a transverse member of the windowframe and provide support for said bight portion, said second legincluding a lengthwise rib adapted for strengthening said second leg,thereby providing increased support for said bight portion.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS902,407 Humphrey Oct. 27, 1908 1,911,469 Rosenwald May 30, 19331,958,934 Williams May 15, 1934 2,284,436 Lundgren May 26, 19422,298,406 Miller Oct. 13, 1942 2,940,139 Koebel June 14, 1960

